A key step in seeking external funding for your research is planning and developing your proposal. Research Development Services (RDS) can help you in a variety of ways as you explore, design, and prepare your applications. Our services are designed to meet the unique needs of researchers across disciplines and career stages.

Services for Researchers

• Grant Planning: Develop a long-term grant strategy with RDS help, creating a clear roadmap for funding for each stage of your career.
• Funding Searches: Learn to navigate the online funding database (Pivot) with individual training from RDS, and read the weekly OVPRI Funding Opportunities Newsletter to find announcements and opportunities for funding. RDS also can design customized funding searches for individual faculty, students, or units.
• Navigating Submissions: RDS can help you interpret funding guidelines to develop competitive submission materials based on funder requirements. Our expertise helps researchers submit a strong, persuasive proposal that meets all the review criteria.
• Proposal Critique: Feedback matters, particularly in the world of grant writing where the style is quite different from academic writing. From simple copy-edits to multiple-iteration reviews, RDS helps ensure grant applications are well organized, clear, and persuasive, and that they directly address a funder’s requirements. We can also review and edit all the ancillary documents that might be needed for submission, such as biographical sketches and facilities documents.
• Project Management: For large, institutional grants (e.g., centers, graduate training), RDS can support your application by providing a high level of coordination and project management, such as gathering collaborators' materials, tracking proposal components and versions, and coordinating support letters.

Additional Resources for Proposal Development

• Academic Impressions: The subscription service has resources related to grants, specifically “Simplifying the NSF Grant Proposal Process and Setting Yourself up for Success” and “Declined Grant Proposals: Analyze Reviews and Create a Plan for Resubmission”. 
• Grant Development Timeline: Use this timeline to help you plan your grant proposal development.
• Requests for Institutional Support: Some grants require support from the institution in the form of matching funds or general investment into services or resources. Find the OVPRI policy and request form on the linked page.
• Training: RDS provides training on specific funders and opportunities, as well as gathering funder-developed videos and webinars for easy access.

Important Proposal Development Policies and Procedures

• Human Subject Research: All proposals that require a Single IRB Review for human subjects research must consult with Research Compliance Services to secure pre-approval.
• Internal Tracking of Proposals: As part of proposal review and approval, an Electronic Proposal Clearance (EPCS) record must be made, as well as completed and finalized a minimum of three business days before your proposal's due date.
• Principal Investigator Status: The Principal Investigator or PI is the lead person responsible for a project. Find guidance on PI responsibilities, PI status, and how to request exceptions if you do not automatically qualify as a PI.
• Roles and Responsibilities: This graphic of the grant process (PDF) will help to clarify the varied units and responsible parties. Text version grant process graphic (MSWord).
• Submitting Proposals: All proposals for external funding must be reviewed and approved by Sponsored Projects Services. Faculty and staff are not authorized to submit proposals for the university without SPS review and approval.